Maintenance traveler for bridge spans



1937- w. H RINGE' 2,088,871

MAINTENRNCE TRAVELER FOR BRIDGE SPANS Filed Jan. 30, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v m Q N v I x i INVENT OR.

IE1 A BY WILL/AM l1 Ewe: P Q

I I 2 ATTORNEY.

Aug. 3, 19.37.

W. H. RINGE MAINTENANCE TRAVELER FOR BRIDGE SPANS Filed Jan. 30, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WILL/AM l1. R/NGE A O NE may be stated that in my.

,the bridge so that Patented Aug. 3, 1937 PATENT] OFFICE BRIDGE William lzLRinge, Berkeley, Calif.

Application January 30, 1937, Serial 15 Claims. (01. 304-9) This invention relates to bridge span and maintenance travelers for use on large bridges, and of the type disclosed in my United States Patent No. 2,067,344, issued January 12, 1937, and has for its principal objects improvements in such structures whereby lower cost and weights are achieved, and other advantages are effected as will appear in the following description and accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: 1

t Figure l and Figure la. form togetheraside elevation of my improved traveler applied to'a diagrammatic cross section of the Golden Gate Bridge span, the figures being arranged to overlap slightly at the center as indicated by the similarly numbered parts;

Figure 2 is a cross section of the traveler as seen from the line 22 of Figure 1, andshowing the end elevation of the extension frameor hanging cross traveler towers thereof.

Before describing the drawings in detail it issued patent above mentioned, my maintenance traveler comprised a latticed beam extending crosswise below 'a bridge and suspended on rollers from tracks secured to the beam could be rolled along the bridge the length of its span, and the fact that the beam preferably extended beyond both sides of the bridge so as to make the outersides thereof also accessible to workmen on the traveler, made it necessary to, in that form of the invention, suspend it low enough to clear the main/side girders or trusses of the bridge which, on the Golden Gate Bridge, extend about sixteen feet below the main cross beams of the bridge. Therefore in order to make the under parts of the bridge accessible a traveling work tower was provided on the traveler. e e e The present improvement is based principally on shortening the traveler beam about thirty feet and suspending this shorter 'crossbeam ortraveler relatively close to the under sides of the main cross beams of the bridge, and providing a travfeler on the traveler beam with downwardly ex:

tending portions which may be termed hange ingwork towers. These latter towers maybe rolled alongthe traveler to adjacent; eitherinner side of the main bridge side trussesQand the lower ends of the suspended tower frames being ex tended outwardly forming working platforms from which the exteriors of the 'mainbridge trusses areaccessibl'e. fl This construction greatly reduces the "costdandweightlqf: the ltraveling structure which for-thaGolden Gate Bridge wouldrunirom about I! to iqtons, depending upon whether steel or aluminum alloy metal construction were used.

In the drawings, the Golden Gate Bridge has merely been used to show the application of my improved maintenance traveler, and the cross section of the bridge, on account of its great mass of open work of trusses, girders, beams, braces, etc. is herein diagrammatically represented. The side trusses which are spaced some eighty-eight feet apart outside to outside, are designated l, the main cross beams or girders 2, angular braces 3, and deck structure including its floor beams and road pavement 4.

Beneath the main bridge beams and running crosswise of the bridge is my traveler beam 5. This traveler beam is preferably of latticed construction on account of its great size, and it is rollably suspended adjacent the under side of the main bridge beams 2 by rollers 6, rolling on tracks I suitably suspended'fromor secured to the bridge structure. I prefer to use a somewhat flexible suspension of these rails as indicated at 8, so that the rollers, which engage opposite sides of both rails, will not bind due to contraction, expansion, or warping of the bridge structure or the traveler structure. Two suspension rails are indicated, though any number may be used, and at least one set on both rails is driven preferably by power to propel the beam along the span of the bridge. The propelling wheels on the two tracks must be mechanically or electrically connected so as to workdn synchronism, and in the drawings I show either 'A. C. synchronous motors 9, or compound wound D. C. motors, at both sets of rollers operated from a current generated on the traveler itself as by an internal combustion engine driven electric generator set indicated at 10 in the drawings. Suitable wiring and controls, not shown, are'of course provided.

,,The generation of the operating current on the traveler is of considerable importance as it avoids the danger of electrolysisin abridge structure, andalso the difficulty of getting good trolleyor rail contact in an atmosphere of damp salt air, such as Golden Gate Bridge Francisco Bay. I

Thetraveler beam is of a length to just come within the angular bridge truss braces 3 which extend about tenfeet inside of the inner faces of the bridge side trusses l, and a rolling extension frame II is providedwhich is rollably sus-- pended byrollers 12 rolling on tracks l3 on op posite sides of the travelerbeam as best'shown in Figure 2. Frame H'may be rolled along the 0 cross traveler frame I I 4: further 0 at right angles, to the 5 not, fall off by accident traveler beam to any point and to extend beyond either end thereof to come close to the inner sides of the bridge side trusses I as indicated at X in Figure 1.

Rollable extension frame II is a skeleton metal structure and may be either if desired.

The frame II, or cross traveler as it may be termed, is provided with several work platforms I6, I1, I8 and I9 spaced about 6 above one another, so that a workman standing on one can reach all parts of the adjacent bridge strucworkmen by suitable stairways or ladders 20, 2!. The platforms or floors are preferably about a dozen feet wide for an installation of this kind for a bridge the size of the Golden Gate Bridge, and the upper platform or floor I6 makes the under sides of the main bridge beams 2 accessible, and ladders may be used upon it to reach patent before mentioned.

It should also be noted that while I show a with a depending tower I4 at each end which requires rolling from one the traveler beam 5 to the other to bring the towers respectively adjacent the inner sides of the bridge side trusses I, it is evident without drawings that two shortercross travelers side truss if desired, intended to cover any such modification.

The traveler beam is constructed of two spaced, preferably latticed, side beams 5 joined by several smaller latticed beams 5, and the rollers I2 of the'cross traveler or extension frame II are deep- 1y flanged to engage over the tracks I3 so that any spreading of the side members 5 is impossible.

7 Both outer sides of the cross traveler are enclosed in wire netting 22., also the angular walls as at 23 in Figure 2 which corresponds, to a plane plane of the drawings at the under sides of the ladders or steps 20 of Figure l, at the line designated 23, and also the sldes'and outer ends of the extensions I5 are similarly wireenclosed, so that a Workman can and the only open place is upward and at the ends of the vertical sides I4 of the cross traveler.

Also to be noted is that since the main side trusses I of the bridge are of open lattice or girder work, it is manifest that their outer sides may'also be reached by the use of heavy planks extended from any floor throughthe side trusses, the planks being properly. secured to the floor or platform and preferably provided with guard rails.

As the details of bracing and other structural construction are well understood and not inrollably suspending ing longitudinally of the bridge, an extension frame carried by the traveler frame arranged to roll therea'long and extend beyond either end of said traveler frame to a point adjacent the sides of the bridge, a platform for workmen on said 3. Bridge span inspection apparatus comprising a traveler frame extending transversely of and'under the bridge span, tracks carried by the bridge extending longitudinally thereof, and rollers carried by the traveler engaging the tracks through contraction, expansion or Warping of the bridge and traveler. v

4. Bridge span inspection apparatus comprising a traveler frame extending transversely of and under the bridge span, tracks carried by the bridge extending longitudinally thereof, and rollers carried by the traveler engaging the tracks adapting the traveler to roll along the bridge span, means for driving said rollers to propel traveler, including an engine-dynamo electric generating plant carried by the traveler, and elecrollably mounted on the traveler in a manner to roll therealong and extend beyond either end of the travelerframe to a point so as to project beyond thezsides of the bridge and provided with a platform adapted to support workmen in accessible relation to thebridge and'means affording accessibility of workmen to said platform from said traveler frame.

6.' In a structure as specified'in claim 2, said extension frame provided with a plurality of working platforms one above the 0th r, and steps leading from one to the other.

"7; In a. structure as specified in claimvz, said the extension frame provided with a plurality of working platforms one above the other, and steps leading from one to the other and the sides of said extension frame enclosed in wire mesh walls, while leaving the outer ends of the extension frame open.

8. Bridge span inspection apparatus comprising a traveler frame extending transversely of and under the bridge span, tracks carried by the bridge extending longitudinally thereof and rollers carried by the traveler engaging the tracks for rolling the traveler along the bridge span, said traveler frame being of lesser length than the width of the bridge, and an extension frame rollably mounted on the traveler in a manner to roll therealong and extend beyond either end of the traveler frame to a point adjacent the sides of the bridge and provided with a platform adapted to support workmen in accessible relation to the bridge, said extension frame provided with a downwardly extending portion arranged to come adjacent the bridge side trusses and to the bottom thereof when the frame is extended.

9. Bridge span inspection apparatus comprising a traveler frame extending transversely of and under the bridge span, tracks carried by the bridge extending longitudinally thereof and rollers carried by the traveler engaging the tracks for rolling the traveler along the bridge span, said traveler frame being of lesser length than the width of the bridge, and an extension frame rollably mounted on the traveler in a manner to roll therealong and extend beyond either end of the traveler frame to a point adjacent the sides of the bridge and provided with a platform adapted to support workmen in accessible relation to the bridge, said extension frame provided with a downwardly extending portion arranged to come adjacent the bridge side trusses and to the bottom thereof when the frame is extended, and provided with a portion extending outwardly under and beyond the bridge side trusses.

10. Bridge span inspection apparatus comprising a traveler frame extending transversely of and under the bridge span within its main side trusses, tracks carried by the bridge extending longitudinally thereof and rollers carried by the traveler frame engaging the tracks for rolling the traveler frame along the bridge span, and a cross traveler frame rollably suspended below the traveler frame for rolling therealong, provided with a hanging tower portion at each end adapted respectively to extend beyond the ends of the traveler when rolled either way and come adjacent the inner sides of the bridge side trusses.

11. In the construction as specified in claim 10, a main floor or workman-supporting platform on said cross traveler frame and a plurality of superimposed workmen platforms on said hanging towers.

12. In the construction as specified in claim 10, an extension from the lower end of said hanging towers adapted to project outward under the bridge side truss when the tower is adjacent thereto.

13. Bridge span inspection apparatus comprising a traveler frame extending transversely of and under the bridge span within its main side trusses, tracks carried by the bridge extending longitudinally thereof and rollers carried by the traveler frame engaging the tracks for rolling the traveler frame along the bridge span, and a cross traveler frame rollably suspended below the traveler frame for rolling therealong, provided with a hanging tower portion at one end adapted to extend beyond the end of the traveler when rolled toward the side of the bridge and come adjacent the inner side of the bridge side truss.

14. In the construction as specified in claim 13, an extension from the lower end of said hanging tower adapted to project outward under the bridge side truss when the tower is adjacent thereto.

15. Bridge span inspection apparatus comprising a traveler frame extending transversely of and under the bridge span within its main side trusses, tracks carried by the bridge extending longitudinally thereof and rollers carried by the traveler frame engaging the tracks for rolling the traveler frame along the bridge span, and a hanging tower portion at each end of said traveler arranged and adapted to come adjacent the inner sides ofthe bridge side trusses, and platforms on said hanging tower portions adapted to support workmen for working on the bridge and means affording accessibility of workmen to said platforms from said traveler frame.

WILLIAM H. HINGE. 

